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NEWS

PHOTO: CITY OF HOPE; COURTESY OF CITY OF HOPE

IVE OINT IT O O E ANNOUN E I ION AN ER

ARE ENTER IN IRVINEHIS ORIC PRO EC WILL BE HE OUNDA ION OR A RE IONAL WELLNESS CAMPUS.

BY: E AN . LANCAS ER

The city of Irvine will be home to a $1 billion world-class cancer care center at FivePoint Gateway. The announcement culminates more than two years of planning and discussion between FivePoint and City of Hope. City of Hope was able to acquire a 190,000-square-foot, four-sto-ry building for $108 million from Five Point Oice Venture I, LLC that will become City of Hope’s first cancer care facility in Orange County.

This historic project marks the beginning of what FivePoint and City of Hope envision as a regional hub for an Irvine-based, innovative “wellness campus” that will feature blue-chip physician groups, wellness specialists and related research.

“There has never been a moment in history more important than now to act boldly to make wellness and health care the foundation of every sustainable community of the future. This partnership with our trusted partner, City of Hope, is truly a game changer,”

said Emile Haddad, FivePoint chairman and CEO. “One day, we will look back at this moment and remember those who took a leap of faith to help ensure the future health and well-being of others through innovation. I believe FivePoint and City of Hope are taking a vital step to be part of this story.”

The FivePoint Gateway is part of the company’s lineup of regional corporate campuses that include sprawling square footage for retail, commercial oice space, entertainment venues, with access to transpor-tation around major metropolitan areas, specifically San Francisco and New Hall Ranch, in Valencia, California.

The FivePoint Gateway features 1 million square feet of oice space and is located next to the Irvine Transportation Center with access to the Great Park and Great Park Neighborhoods. Located on Alton Parkway, the City of Hope plans to immediately begin construction on the cancer care center, which will in-

clude a future acute cancer care hospital. This health care model will serve as a legacy moving forward for City of Hope and FivePoint as plans to introduce this model into other California communities is already underway.

Once complete, the cancer center will function as a research facility for Phase 1-3 clinical trials, which are known as the first control groups to receive new drug treatments, and help set the foundation for the research and successful treatment of certain diseases.

“Orange County called out to us for our presence, and we are responding in a big way. We are ‘all in’ for the region, fulfilling a promise that will deliver pio-neering research and lifesaving treatment in 21st-cen-tury, next-generation patient-centered settings,” said Annette Walker, president of City of Hope Orange County. “As we begin to break ground, we are ener-gized by our FivePoint partnership and the tremen-dous support of local leaders, community members, and philanthropic friends.”

This massive investment into Orange County health care demonstrates City of Hope’s drive to deliver the most comprehensive, and state-of-the-art medical care to the communities it serves.

“City of Hope is second to none when it comes to delivering on the vision of cutting-edge care and re-search. The outpatient cancer treatment and research center and the cancer hospital will be world-class additions to the campus and the wider community,” said Lynn Jochim, FivePoint’s chief operating oicer. “We are honored and excited to join hands with such a renowned partner.”

CONTENTS JUNE 3, 2020 NO. 16

COVER: COMPOSED BY DARRICK RAINEY

IRVINEWEEKLY�COM

6PHOTO BY: ANTHONY CHIRCO

CLASSIFIEDS

FOR�ALL�INQUIRIES��PUBLISHER@IRVINEWEEKLY�COM

EMPLOYMENT

WANTED HOTWHEELS1968-1985

COLLECTOR WILL PAY TOP DOLLAR(562) 708-9069

acmecollectables.com

$$Top Dollar Pa

id$$

WANTED HOTWHEELSWANTED HOTWHEELS1968-19851968-1985

$$Top Dollar Pa

id$$

NEWS...3Fivepoint, City of Hope announce historic plans for $1 billion cancer care center. BY EVAN J. LANCASTER

ART...4Visual artists respond to this moment in history.BY SHANA NYS DAMBROT

NEWS...6Thousands take to the streets and call for reform as city reckons with protests and unrest.BY ISAI ROCHA AND AVERY BISSET

MUSIC...8Local musicians find positives in a time of pandemic. BY PAUL ROGERS

ENTERTAINMENT...11(Streaming) Movie Guide: Kimmy, Missy, Capone and more. BY CHUCK WILSON AND LINA LECARO

Post-Doctoral Research Scientist (Irvine, CA).Conduct chemical epigenetics research. PhD in Chemistry (program must include study of epigenetics). Mail resume to SeongEun Kim, HR Mgr, Zymo Research Corporation 17062 Murphy Ave., Irvine, CA 92614.

Medical and Health Manager: Coordinate operational activities & ensure service quality; 40hrs/wk; Apply to Good IVF Medical Service Ctr. Attn: HR, 780 Roosevelt, Irvine, CA 92620

ACS Engineering Inc seeks an Electrical/Project Engineer in Irvine. Req.: Bach in Electrical Engineering + 2yrs exp. $71,240.00/yr. Email resume to karen@ACSEngineering.net

Administrative Manager:Direct & coordinate admin. services; 40hrs/wk; worksite: Irvine, CA. Send resume to Mei Mi Suo Inc., Attn: Jing Xue, 2983 Chino Ave. #A8, Chino Hills, CA 91709

Database Administrator:Develop IT solutions for bus. sys.; MS in CIS or equiv., or BS or equiv. + 5 yrs exp. in CIS req’d; Send resume to: Solomon America, Inc. 10540 Talbert Ave., #200 , Fountain Valley, CA 92708

Electrical Engineer:Research & Develop RF sys.; BS in EE or equiv. & 2 yrs exp. req’d; Send resume to GigaTera Communications: 1818 E. Orangethorpe Ave., Fullerton, CA 92831

Pastor: f/t;perform religious worship & spiritual function; M Div, Th M, or equiv; Resume: Bethel Korean Church @18700 Har-vard Ave., Irvine, CA 92612

Taekwondo Instructor(Irvine, CA) Conduct and teach taekwondo techniques. Minimum 4th degree Dan certi�cate req'd. Resume to: Talium Group Inc. 3580 Barranca Pkwy #G, Irvine, CA 92606

Pharmacist(Buena Park, CA) Perform pharmacist duties. Doctor of Pharmacy and CA Phar-macist license. Resume to: Meds Envy, Inc. 5450 Beach Blvd. #110, Buena Park, CA 90621

ALC, Inc.,headquartered in Princeton, NJ seeks Senior Software Engineer for a position at company’s location in Irvine, CA. S/he will work on complex tech. projects, including full stack (front end and back end) software dev. and big data analytics. S/he must have, at min, a Bach. degree in Computer Science or IT and 2 yrs of exp. in a software dev/eng role, including familiarity with SDLC; ability to create server-side API; knowledge of Golang, Node.js, Type-script, C#, and JavaScript; knowledge of Databases including SQL, MongoDB, Aerospike, and Redis; Experience with front end technologies Angular and React; and experience with bigdata solutions BigTable, BigQuery, and DataFlow. Email resumes to rob.bennington@alc.com.

The Act-1 Group Inc. DBA ATIMS in Chatsworth, CAseeks Software Develop-ment Manager to oversee, impl & provide prod’n supp/syst S/W syst mgmt. No Trvl; no tel’comm. Mail resumes to: The Act-1 Group Inc. DBA ATIMS, Attn: HR, 21622 Plummer Street, Suite 210, Chatsworth, CA 91311.

SENIOR FOREIGN LEGAL ANALYSTWhite & Case LLP in Los Angeles, CA seeks a Senior Foreign Legal Analyst w/ Master’s deg or frgn equiv deg in Law w/admission to Brazilian Bar & 6 yrs of exp at an int'l law �rm managing high volume of Brazilian & Latin American litigations. Fluency in Por-tuguese language for legal purposes. Send resumes to lateralrecruiting@whitecase.com w/ref MH:CB.

Strategy and PR Manager (Los Angeles, CA) Focus on managing the company's image & raising awareness of the company & its projects in the US, & abroad, especially in China. Bach deg in communications or a closely rltd major; 18 mos of work exp in �lm & television; pro�cient in MS Of�ce (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) & Adobe Systems. Apply to The H Collective, Inc., c/o Jianhui Huang, 12959 Coral Tree Place, Los Angeles, CA 90066

NortonLifeLock Inc.has an opening for Product Manager in Culver City, CA. Job description includes participate in all software product development life cycle activities. Move software products through the product development cycle from design and development to implemen-tation and testing. To apply, submit resume to jobads@nortonlifelock.com. Must reference job title and job ID:1648.6586.

NortonLifeLock Inchas an opening for Software Engineer in Culver City, California. Job description includes responsible for analyzing, designing, de-bugging and/or modifying software; or evaluating, developing, modifying and coding software programs to support program-ming needs.To apply, submit resume to jobads@nortonlifelock.com. Must reference job title and job ID: 1648.6545.

NortonLifeLock Inchas an opening for UI De-signer in Culver City, CA. Job description includes design or create graphics design to meet company needs. Work with product team leaders including Product Management, Visual Design, User Research, Info Dev and Engineering to de�ne and implement product experience strategies within NetBackup. To apply, submit resume to jobads@nortonlifelock.com. Must reference job title and job ID:1648.6638.

NortonLifeLock Inc. has an opening for Software Engineer in Culver City, California. Job description includes responsible for analyzing, designing, de-bugging and/or modifying software. Depending on level/type of position, degree, and/or experience may be required. To apply, submit resume to jobads@nortonlifelock.com. Must reference job title and job ID: 1648.6286.

NortonLifeLock Inc.has an opening for Software Engineer in Culver City, California. Job description includes responsible for analyzing, designing, debugging and/or mod-ifying software. To apply, submit resume to jobads@nortonlifelock.com. Must reference job title and job ID: 1648.6207.

Strategy Market Business Analyst.Master’s Degree in Business Administration, req., $56,056/yr, F/T, Resume to Jake Oh, Linkone, Inc., 5681 Beach Blvd, Suite 100, Buena Park, CA 90621

IRVIN

EW

EEKLY

﹒COM��| JU

NE

03

, 20

20

| 32

NEWS

PHOTO: CITY OF HOPE; COURTESY OF CITY OF HOPE

IVE OINT IT O O E ANNOUN E I ION AN ER

ARE ENTER IN IRVINEHIS ORIC PRO EC WILL BE HE OUNDA ION OR A RE IONAL WELLNESS CAMPUS.

BY: E AN . LANCAS ER

The city of Irvine will be home to a $1 billion world-class cancer care center at FivePoint Gateway. The announcement culminates more than two years of planning and discussion between FivePoint and City of Hope. City of Hope was able to acquire a 190,000-square-foot, four-sto-ry building for $108 million from Five Point Oice Venture I, LLC that will become City of Hope’s first cancer care facility in Orange County.

This historic project marks the beginning of what FivePoint and City of Hope envision as a regional hub for an Irvine-based, innovative “wellness campus” that will feature blue-chip physician groups, wellness specialists and related research.

“There has never been a moment in history more important than now to act boldly to make wellness and health care the foundation of every sustainable community of the future. This partnership with our trusted partner, City of Hope, is truly a game changer,”

said Emile Haddad, FivePoint chairman and CEO. “One day, we will look back at this moment and remember those who took a leap of faith to help ensure the future health and well-being of others through innovation. I believe FivePoint and City of Hope are taking a vital step to be part of this story.”

The FivePoint Gateway is part of the company’s lineup of regional corporate campuses that include sprawling square footage for retail, commercial oice space, entertainment venues, with access to transpor-tation around major metropolitan areas, specifically San Francisco and New Hall Ranch, in Valencia, California.

The FivePoint Gateway features 1 million square feet of oice space and is located next to the Irvine Transportation Center with access to the Great Park and Great Park Neighborhoods. Located on Alton Parkway, the City of Hope plans to immediately begin construction on the cancer care center, which will in-

clude a future acute cancer care hospital. This health care model will serve as a legacy moving forward for City of Hope and FivePoint as plans to introduce this model into other California communities is already underway.

Once complete, the cancer center will function as a research facility for Phase 1-3 clinical trials, which are known as the first control groups to receive new drug treatments, and help set the foundation for the research and successful treatment of certain diseases.

“Orange County called out to us for our presence, and we are responding in a big way. We are ‘all in’ for the region, fulfilling a promise that will deliver pio-neering research and lifesaving treatment in 21st-cen-tury, next-generation patient-centered settings,” said Annette Walker, president of City of Hope Orange County. “As we begin to break ground, we are ener-gized by our FivePoint partnership and the tremen-dous support of local leaders, community members, and philanthropic friends.”

This massive investment into Orange County health care demonstrates City of Hope’s drive to deliver the most comprehensive, and state-of-the-art medical care to the communities it serves.

“City of Hope is second to none when it comes to delivering on the vision of cutting-edge care and re-search. The outpatient cancer treatment and research center and the cancer hospital will be world-class additions to the campus and the wider community,” said Lynn Jochim, FivePoint’s chief operating oicer. “We are honored and excited to join hands with such a renowned partner.”

CONTENTS JUNE 3, 2020 NO. 16

COVER: COMPOSED BY DARRICK RAINEY

IRVINEWEEKLY�COM

6PHOTO BY: ANTHONY CHIRCO

CLASSIFIEDS

FOR�ALL�INQUIRIES��PUBLISHER@IRVINEWEEKLY�COM

EMPLOYMENT

WANTED HOTWHEELS1968-1985

COLLECTOR WILL PAY TOP DOLLAR(562) 708-9069

acmecollectables.com

$$Top Dollar Pa

id$$

NEWS...3Fivepoint, City of Hope announce historic plans for $1 billion cancer care center. BY EVAN J. LANCASTER

ART...4Visual artists respond to this moment in history.BY SHANA NYS DAMBROT

NEWS...6Thousands take to the streets and call for reform as city reckons with protests and unrest.BY ISAI ROCHA AND AVERY BISSET

MUSIC...8Local musicians find positives in a time of pandemic. BY PAUL ROGERS

ENTERTAINMENT...11(Streaming) Movie Guide: Kimmy, Missy, Capone and more. BY CHUCK WILSON AND LINA LECARO

Post-Doctoral Research Scientist (Irvine, CA).Conduct chemical epigenetics research. PhD in Chemistry (program must include study of epigenetics). Mail resume to SeongEun Kim, HR Mgr, Zymo Research Corporation 17062 Murphy Ave., Irvine, CA 92614.

Medical and Health Manager: Coordinate operational activities & ensure service quality; 40hrs/wk; Apply to Good IVF Medical Service Ctr. Attn: HR, 780 Roosevelt, Irvine, CA 92620

ACS Engineering Inc seeks an Electrical/Project Engineer in Irvine. Req.: Bach in Electrical Engineering + 2yrs exp. $71,240.00/yr. Email resume to karen@ACSEngineering.net

Administrative Manager:Direct & coordinate admin. services; 40hrs/wk; worksite: Irvine, CA. Send resume to Mei Mi Suo Inc., Attn: Jing Xue, 2983 Chino Ave. #A8, Chino Hills, CA 91709

Database Administrator:Develop IT solutions for bus. sys.; MS in CIS or equiv., or BS or equiv. + 5 yrs exp. in CIS req’d; Send resume to: Solomon America, Inc. 10540 Talbert Ave., #200 , Fountain Valley, CA 92708

Electrical Engineer:Research & Develop RF sys.; BS in EE or equiv. & 2 yrs exp. req’d; Send resume to GigaTera Communications: 1818 E. Orangethorpe Ave., Fullerton, CA 92831

Pastor: f/t;perform religious worship & spiritual function; M Div, Th M, or equiv; Resume: Bethel Korean Church @18700 Har-vard Ave., Irvine, CA 92612

Taekwondo Instructor(Irvine, CA) Conduct and teach taekwondo techniques. Minimum 4th degree Dan certi�cate req'd. Resume to: Talium Group Inc. 3580 Barranca Pkwy #G, Irvine, CA 92606

Pharmacist(Buena Park, CA) Perform pharmacist duties. Doctor of Pharmacy and CA Phar-macist license. Resume to: Meds Envy, Inc. 5450 Beach Blvd. #110, Buena Park, CA 90621

ALC, Inc.,headquartered in Princeton, NJ seeks Senior Software Engineer for a position at company’s location in Irvine, CA. S/he will work on complex tech. projects, including full stack (front end and back end) software dev. and big data analytics. S/he must have, at min, a Bach. degree in Computer Science or IT and 2 yrs of exp. in a software dev/eng role, including familiarity with SDLC; ability to create server-side API; knowledge of Golang, Node.js, Type-script, C#, and JavaScript; knowledge of Databases including SQL, MongoDB, Aerospike, and Redis; Experience with front end technologies Angular and React; and experience with bigdata solutions BigTable, BigQuery, and DataFlow. Email resumes to rob.bennington@alc.com.

The Act-1 Group Inc. DBA ATIMS in Chatsworth, CAseeks Software Develop-ment Manager to oversee, impl & provide prod’n supp/syst S/W syst mgmt. No Trvl; no tel’comm. Mail resumes to: The Act-1 Group Inc. DBA ATIMS, Attn: HR, 21622 Plummer Street, Suite 210, Chatsworth, CA 91311.

SENIOR FOREIGN LEGAL ANALYSTWhite & Case LLP in Los Angeles, CA seeks a Senior Foreign Legal Analyst w/ Master’s deg or frgn equiv deg in Law w/admission to Brazilian Bar & 6 yrs of exp at an int'l law �rm managing high volume of Brazilian & Latin American litigations. Fluency in Por-tuguese language for legal purposes. Send resumes to lateralrecruiting@whitecase.com w/ref MH:CB.

Strategy and PR Manager (Los Angeles, CA) Focus on managing the company's image & raising awareness of the company & its projects in the US, & abroad, especially in China. Bach deg in communications or a closely rltd major; 18 mos of work exp in �lm & television; pro�cient in MS Of�ce (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) & Adobe Systems. Apply to The H Collective, Inc., c/o Jianhui Huang, 12959 Coral Tree Place, Los Angeles, CA 90066

NortonLifeLock Inc.has an opening for Product Manager in Culver City, CA. Job description includes participate in all software product development life cycle activities. Move software products through the product development cycle from design and development to implemen-tation and testing. To apply, submit resume to jobads@nortonlifelock.com. Must reference job title and job ID:1648.6586.

NortonLifeLock Inchas an opening for Software Engineer in Culver City, California. Job description includes responsible for analyzing, designing, de-bugging and/or modifying software; or evaluating, developing, modifying and coding software programs to support program-ming needs.To apply, submit resume to jobads@nortonlifelock.com. Must reference job title and job ID: 1648.6545.

NortonLifeLock Inchas an opening for UI De-signer in Culver City, CA. Job description includes design or create graphics design to meet company needs. Work with product team leaders including Product Management, Visual Design, User Research, Info Dev and Engineering to de�ne and implement product experience strategies within NetBackup. To apply, submit resume to jobads@nortonlifelock.com. Must reference job title and job ID:1648.6638.

NortonLifeLock Inc. has an opening for Software Engineer in Culver City, California. Job description includes responsible for analyzing, designing, de-bugging and/or modifying software. Depending on level/type of position, degree, and/or experience may be required. To apply, submit resume to jobads@nortonlifelock.com. Must reference job title and job ID: 1648.6286.

NortonLifeLock Inc.has an opening for Software Engineer in Culver City, California. Job description includes responsible for analyzing, designing, debugging and/or mod-ifying software. To apply, submit resume to jobads@nortonlifelock.com. Must reference job title and job ID: 1648.6207.

Strategy Market Business Analyst.Master’s Degree in Business Administration, req., $56,056/yr, F/T, Resume to Jake Oh, Linkone, Inc., 5681 Beach Blvd, Suite 100, Buena Park, CA 90621

54

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A rt at its best is not always only about the artist’s own self-ex-pression, as powerful as that is. Sometimes the power comes from the artist’s gi� for ex-pressing that self on behalf of the culture, and re�ecting us back to ourselves at a higher level of insight. �is is a time of collective anger and grief, of volatile, complex emotions and fresh calls to action, and our progress must be rooted in an honest conversation —

no matter how uncomfortable— about what is happening and what is at stake.

At moments of profound societal change such as this, a further gi� of the artist is to o�er us tools to conceive and imagine the terms of badly needed structural change. When powerful issues, histories, fears and hopes are on the move, art can bridge gaps of language, terminology, entrenched posi-tions and unconscious biases and give form to what can be di�cult to articulate but is

nevertheless deeply felt. Whether serving as education for those who resist change, inspiration for those who persist in the face of violence and oppression, or a document for the future to access the texture of this time in history, artists are among the most valuable voices in a truly just society.

Here is a selection of some of the most com-pelling work being put out there this week, especially through the IG platform. Honorif-ic commemorative portraits of George Floyd from the saintly to the heroic, clever and eu-

ART

ART E S US UNDERSTAND AND TA E ETTER ARE O EA OT ER

ISUAL AR IS S O ALL ENRES RESPOND O HIS MOMEN IN HIS ORY.

BY SHANA NYS DAMBRO

A rt at its best is not always only about the artist’s own self-ex-pression, as powerful as that is. Sometimes the power comes from the artist’s gift for expressing that self on behalf of the culture, and reflecting us back to ourselves at a higher level of insight. This is a time of collective anger and grief, of volatile, complex emo-tions and fresh calls to action, and our progress must be rooted in an honest conversation — no matter how uncom-fortable— about what is happening and

what is at stake.At moments of profound societal

change such as this, a further gift of the artist is to oer us tools to conceive and imagine the terms of badly needed structural change. When powerful issues, histories, fears and hopes are on the move, art can bridge gaps of language, termi-nology, entrenched positions and uncon-scious biases and give form to what can be diicult to articulate but is nevertheless deeply felt. Whether serving as education for those who resist change, inspiration for

those who persist in the face of violence and oppression, or a document for the future to access the texture of this time in history, artists are among the most valu-able voices in a truly just society.

Here is a selection of some of the most compelling work being put out there this week, especially through the IG plat-form. Honorific commemorative portraits of George Floyd from the saintly to the heroic, clever and eulogistic by Otha

“Vakseen” Davis III, Patrick Martinez, Chad Robertson and Carlos Rolón (who has made a high-res download available for distribution and marching with). A new GIF of the 2018 work “Blue Love” by Lorna Simpson expressing the power of the focused, engaged mind. A tribute to the last terrible moments of Floyd’s life made from collaged pages of Luke Cage, Cloak and Black Panther stories, by Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik.

Calida Rawles and Diedrick Brackens have teamed up on a project supported by Various Small Fires to oer limited edition posters of a pair of their works in exchange for proof of donation to progres-sive activist and protester-support funds. Miles Regis channels the fierce organic energy of the diverse crowds of protesters into a street scene that is both hopeful and fraught, simply titled “America.” And the radiant architect, designer, illustrator, children’s book author and 2016 White House Innovators of Color fellow Nikkolas Smith reinterprets an indelible work of photojournalism in his classic, soulful and evocatively painterly style.

Patrick Martinez Racism Doesn’t Rest During A Pandemic Pee Chee (No Justice No Peace) Courtesy of the artist and Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles

Nikkolas Smith Reflect

Miles Regis America

Carlos Rolon 2020Rest In Paradise (George Floyd) -

Chad Robertson George Floyd

Otha Vakseen Davis III Remember Me, George Floyd

Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik I Can’t Breathe

A rt at its best is not always only about the artist’s own self-ex-pression, as powerful as that is. Sometimes the power comes from the artist’s gi� for ex-pressing that self on behalf of the culture, and re�ecting us back to ourselves at a higher level of insight. �is is a time of collective anger and grief, of volatile, complex emotions and fresh calls to action, and our progress must be rooted in an honest conversation —

no matter how uncomfortable— about what is happening and what is at stake.

At moments of profound societal change such as this, a further gi� of the artist is to o�er us tools to conceive and imagine the terms of badly needed structural change. When powerful issues, histories, fears and hopes are on the move, art can bridge gaps of language, terminology, entrenched posi-tions and unconscious biases and give form to what can be di�cult to articulate but is

nevertheless deeply felt. Whether serving as education for those who resist change, inspiration for those who persist in the face of violence and oppression, or a document for the future to access the texture of this time in history, artists are among the most valuable voices in a truly just society.

Here is a selection of some of the most com-pelling work being put out there this week, especially through the IG platform. Honorif-ic commemorative portraits of George Floyd from the saintly to the heroic, clever and eu-

NEWSPHOTO BY TED SOQUI

PHOTO BY TED SOQUI

PHOTO BY TED SOQUIJACEN CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY ANTHONY CHIRCO

PHOTO BY ANTHONY CHIRCO

JACEN CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHYPHOTO BY JENNIFER GROSS

PHOTO BY JENNIFER GROSS

A IG TS OR A IVES

HOUSANDS AKE O HE S REE S AND CALL OR POLICE RE ORMS AS CI Y RECKONS WI H PRO ES S AND UNRES .

BY: ISAI ROCHA AND A ERY BISSE

On Memorial Day, George Floyd died while being detained by police in Minneapolis, Min-nesota. Fifteen hundred miles away, Angelenos took to the streets to protest and voice their anger at police brutal-ity and the killing of people of color.

Converging on Los Angeles’ civic center on Wednesday, May 27, hun-dreds gathered in front of the Metropol-itan Detention Center, chanting “Black Lives Matter!” Camera crews captured

a protester falling to the ground from the hood of a CHP cruiser as protesters hurled debris at it.

Demonstrations grew by the day, and by the weekend thousands protested across the city, as did citizens cross the country.

“We really need the media to step up for black people and for justice. We took to the streets with masks on amidst a pandemic to show up for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and

so many other black people whose lives have been cut short by the anti-black racism that exists in this country,” Black Lives Matter (BLM-LA) co-founder Patrisse Cullors told Irvine Weekly in a written statement. “We are in pain and we are demanding this country defund the police, to invest in the critical social services that so many of us need during this pandemic moment. This week is our Week Of Action in defense of black lives, where we outline our five demands. We urge Los Angeles to join us and find ways to take action.”

We’ve all seen the video footage of Floyd’s death, showing him on the ground as police oicer Derek Chauvin kneels on his neck, Floyd repeatedly saying “I can’t breathe” and pleading for relief. Oicers involved in the incident have since been fired, and Chauvin is being charged with second-degree murder.

Hundreds of protesters made their way to downtown Los Angeles on Fri-day, as the LAPD attempted to break up the crowd after declaring the rally an unlawful assembly.

Around 6 p.m., the protesters made several attempts to march toward free-ways, but were blocked by cordons of LAPD oicers. A smaller group did split from the crowd and stop traic on the 110 South Freeway, where they sat and even gathered around the few LAPD oicers on the scene. The oicers drew their weapons as the group guided them toward the freeway’s center divid-er, but ultimately it did not escalate at that moment.

On city streets, a larger group of the protesters were more vocal. A few got in front of oicers and yelled, while non-confrontational citizens attempted to intervene and pull away the more vocal ones.

With local news choppers capturing the scene, a line of oicers attempted to guide the marchers away from the freeway on-ramp. Some of the march-ers smashed police cruiser windows, and an LAPD oicer and a protester wrestled each other to the ground as demonstrators and the LAPD looked on. The oicer was then ushered away from the scene.

IRVIN

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NEWSPHOTO BY TED SOQUI

PHOTO BY TED SOQUI

PHOTO BY TED SOQUIJACEN CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY ANTHONY CHIRCO

PHOTO BY ANTHONY CHIRCO

JACEN CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHYPHOTO BY JENNIFER GROSS

PHOTO BY JENNIFER GROSS

A IG TS OR A IVES

HOUSANDS AKE O HE S REE S AND CALL OR POLICE RE ORMS AS CI Y RECKONS WI H PRO ES S AND UNRES .

BY: ISAI ROCHA AND A ERY BISSE

On Memorial Day, George Floyd died while being detained by police in Minneapolis, Min-nesota. Fifteen hundred miles away, Angelenos took to the streets to protest and voice their anger at police brutal-ity and the killing of people of color.

Converging on Los Angeles’ civic center on Wednesday, May 27, hun-dreds gathered in front of the Metropol-itan Detention Center, chanting “Black Lives Matter!” Camera crews captured

a protester falling to the ground from the hood of a CHP cruiser as protesters hurled debris at it.

Demonstrations grew by the day, and by the weekend thousands protested across the city, as did citizens cross the country.

“We really need the media to step up for black people and for justice. We took to the streets with masks on amidst a pandemic to show up for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and

so many other black people whose lives have been cut short by the anti-black racism that exists in this country,” Black Lives Matter (BLM-LA) co-founder Patrisse Cullors told Irvine Weekly in a written statement. “We are in pain and we are demanding this country defund the police, to invest in the critical social services that so many of us need during this pandemic moment. This week is our Week Of Action in defense of black lives, where we outline our five demands. We urge Los Angeles to join us and find ways to take action.”

We’ve all seen the video footage of Floyd’s death, showing him on the ground as police oicer Derek Chauvin kneels on his neck, Floyd repeatedly saying “I can’t breathe” and pleading for relief. Oicers involved in the incident have since been fired, and Chauvin is being charged with second-degree murder.

Hundreds of protesters made their way to downtown Los Angeles on Fri-day, as the LAPD attempted to break up the crowd after declaring the rally an unlawful assembly.

Around 6 p.m., the protesters made several attempts to march toward free-ways, but were blocked by cordons of LAPD oicers. A smaller group did split from the crowd and stop traic on the 110 South Freeway, where they sat and even gathered around the few LAPD oicers on the scene. The oicers drew their weapons as the group guided them toward the freeway’s center divid-er, but ultimately it did not escalate at that moment.

On city streets, a larger group of the protesters were more vocal. A few got in front of oicers and yelled, while non-confrontational citizens attempted to intervene and pull away the more vocal ones.

With local news choppers capturing the scene, a line of oicers attempted to guide the marchers away from the freeway on-ramp. Some of the march-ers smashed police cruiser windows, and an LAPD oicer and a protester wrestled each other to the ground as demonstrators and the LAPD looked on. The oicer was then ushered away from the scene.

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MELINA ABDULLAH,

A CO-FOUNDER OF BLACK LIVES

MATTER LOS ANGELES

�ough Southern California has seen a week of nonviolent protests — including some popping up in Irvine — it was per-haps Saturday’s events that still proved to be an inflection point. Thousands converged in the Fairfax District for a march organized by BLM-LA. Unlike in 1992, during the protests and riots after the Rodney King acquittals, the seminal moments would occur in a markedly dierent setting.

“I thought it was important geo-graphically the neighborhood we were meeting up in,” said Celia, a black teaching artist who attended the march. “Because that neighborhood is predominantly white, and it’s important for white Angelenos and huge business-es, successful businesses, in that area to recognize that it’s an Angeleno and American issue.”

Protesters painted a scene of commu-nity, with a largely positive, nonviolent atmosphere.

“I left before things seemed to have gotten really intense, but while I was there it was very emotional and over-

whelming to see thousands of people stand in solidarity,” protester Britnee Sweat told L.A. Weekly. “It was a great feeling to have that reassurance that there are so many people who truly believe that black lives do matter.”

“It was incredible, there were so many people and people with care and love and solidarity in their hearts,” recalled Celia. “People were handing out masks, water, snacks — it was very hot, espe-cially with the masks, and we were walking 12 miles.”

Events, however, would take a turn, just as they did earlier in the week when demonstrations took over freeways, trash cans burned, and there was scat-tered looting of businesses, such as the Target on 7th and Figueroa.

“There were moments of tenseness... The police presence was very powerful and they initiated contact very early on,” said Celia. “We left from Pan Pacific Park and stopped momentarily at 3rd and Fairfax, and they were already shooting rubber bullets at that location.”

Another attendee, Richard, recounted the moment he saw the LAPD advanc-

ing, aggressively yelling, as he watched friends get shot with rubber bullets.

By mid-afternoon, police cars had been torched, businesses were looted and altercations with police broke out. At least five oicers would be injured that day and hundreds of protesters arrested, according to the LAPD.

Multiple marchers told L.A. Week-ly that people unailiated with the nonviolent protest were responsible for the mayhem. Both Mayor Eric Garcetti and Governor Gavin Newsom said they believed out-of-town agitators were sent into the city to disrupt protests, with Garcetti going as far as calling them “organized criminals” and Newsom re-fusing to give any specific group public acknowledgment.

Within hours, Garcetti ordered a curfew of downtown L.A., which by nightfall became citywide. The gover-nor declared a state of emergency as 1,000 National Guard members were deployed to assist law enforcement.

“...At one point, you’ve got to take the temperature of the crowd, and even-tually it starts getting ugly, we’ve got

hundreds in this area ready to go in,” Garcetti said later.

He also declared, “This is no longer a protest, this is destruction. Looting, stealing or vandalizing have nothing to do with the protest.”

The one-night, citywide curfew would be followed, at the time of this writing, by four consecutive nights of countywide curfews, from evening to early morning. In some localities, cur-fews began as early as 1 p.m.

Meanwhile, on Monday President Donald Trump controversially threat-ened to dispatch active-duty military units across the country to “stop the rioting, looting, vandalism, assaults and destruction of property.”

At least 3,000 arrests have been made in L.A. County since protests began — the vast majority for oenses unrelated to looting or rioting.

DeShawn Brown drove from the Val-ley on Sunday to attend his first protest. Marching from Santa Monica to Venice in a demonstration that was “95 percent peaceful,” he, like many residents, received the oicial alert for a 6 p.m.

curfew at 5:18 p.m. He immediately start-ed walking with a group back to his car, only to be delayed by a labyrinth of street closures and police blockades.

Less than half an hour after curfew and still on Olympic, multiple police cars arrived. Oicers leapt out, weapons drawn, yelling “Don’t move!” and “Get on the ground!”

Brown and the group were zip-tied and held on the curb until a bus arrived to transport them to an unhygienic detention center at the Santa Monica Airport. He was finally released with a citation around 2:30 a.m. and returned home at 4:30 a.m.

Brown was one of more than 400 people arrested in Santa Monica on

JACEN CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY TED SOQUI

PHOTO BY TED SOQUI

PHOTO BY ANTHONY CHIRCO

PHOTO BY ANTHONY CHIRCO

JACEN CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY JENNIFER GROSS

PHOTO BY MARGOT GERBER

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A CO-FOUNDER OF BLACK LIVES

MATTER LOS ANGELES

hundreds in this area ready to go in,” Garcetti said later.

He also declared, “This is no longer a protest, this is destruction. Looting, stealing or vandalizing have nothing to do with the protest.”

The one-night, citywide curfew would be followed, at the time of this writing, by four consecutive nights of countywide curfews, from evening to early morning. In some localities, cur-fews began as early as 1 p.m.

Meanwhile, on Monday President Donald Trump controversially threat-ened to dispatch active-duty military units across the country to “stop the rioting, looting, vandalism, assaults and destruction of property.”

At least 3,000 arrests have been made in L.A. County since protests began — the vast majority for oenses unrelated to looting or rioting.

DeShawn Brown drove from the Val-ley on Sunday to attend his first protest. Marching from Santa Monica to Venice in a demonstration that was “95 percent peaceful,” he, like many residents, received the oicial alert for a 6 p.m.

curfew at 5:18 p.m. He immediately start-ed walking with a group back to his car, only to be delayed by a labyrinth of street closures and police blockades.

Less than half an hour after curfew and still on Olympic, multiple police cars arrived. Oicers leapt out, weapons drawn, yelling “Don’t move!” and “Get on the ground!”

Brown and the group were zip-tied and held on the curb until a bus arrived to transport them to an unhygienic detention center at the Santa Monica Airport. He was finally released with a citation around 2:30 a.m. and returned home at 4:30 a.m.

Brown was one of more than 400 people arrested in Santa Monica on

Sunday night. The very next day, LAPD’s Hollywood division reported a daily record — nearly 600 arrests, mostly for curfew violations.

Recalling that night, Brown said he wasn’t scared. “I was doing the right thing for my family members, for my friends, for myself.”

Where Los Angeles goes from this his-toric, at times combative week remains to be seen. Protests across the nation show no sign of abating in the midst of a global pandemic during which people have been advised to wear face coverings and avoid large gatherings for more than two months.

“I could put together a group of advisers. I could put together another task force. I could promise and promote a few pieces of legislation, but program passing is not problem solving,” New-som said Monday. “You got to change hearts, you got to change culture, not just laws.”

A six-plus–hour Zoom meeting for the Los Angeles Board of Police Commis-sioners — its first since the protests began — saw Angeleno after Angeleno call in for two-minute public comment periods while more than 16,000 watched streams online. At times emotional,

comments were overwhelmingly critical, even scathing, of the LAPD and the commission’s oversight of the police force.

Many called for Chief Michel Moore to be fired, particularly in light of his quickly retracted and widely panned statement Monday assigning blame to protesters for the death of George Floyd. Others accused local law enforcement of hypocrisy and paying lip service to Floyd, given past police killings of Angelenos.

“This is about #GeorgeFloyd and about so much more than him...It’s about the thousands of folks who are killed by police every year, including #Kenneth-RossJr, #WakieshaWilson, #Grechari-oMack, #RyanTwyman and #LeeJef-ferson, whose families were all at the protest,” Melina Abdullah, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, wrote in a statement to the Weekly. “This is also about a system of policing that puts targets on the backs of black people and eats up public funds which could be used for resources and services, like permanent housing, healthcare, youth programs, parks and libraries.”

Protests continued Tuesday, as hun-dreds marched the streets of L.A. Coun-ty, from downtown L.A. and Hollywood

to Manhattan Beach, Pasadena and even Windsor Square, where Mayor Garcetti resides.

Some made their way to City Hall, where they met without incident both LAPD and National Guard members. At several points, protesters kneeled for eight-minute tributes. Garcetti at one point joined in.

Hundreds that gathered in front of the mayor’s home stayed past the curfew, continuing to chant, although it did not appear that the mayor was there.

Addressing Angelenos from City Hall, Garcetti said that he did not plan on implementing a weeklong curfew, but would take things day-to-day. Earlier that evening, L.A. County Sheri Alex Villanueva insisted in an interview with KTLA 5 that curfews would continue “until organized protests are gone.” Critics such as the ACLU have labeled the restrictions unconstitutional and counterproductive.

As the 6 p.m. curfew went into eect, handfuls of protesters lingered through-out L.A. Some allowed themselves to be arrested; others scattered to avoid police. On Wednesday, BLM-LA will protest in front of the Hall of Justice at 3 p.m.

JACEN CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY

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MELINA ABDULLAH,

A CO-FOUNDER OF BLACK LIVES

MATTER LOS ANGELES

�ough Southern California has seen a week of nonviolent protests — including some popping up in Irvine — it was per-haps Saturday’s events that still proved to be an inflection point. Thousands converged in the Fairfax District for a march organized by BLM-LA. Unlike in 1992, during the protests and riots after the Rodney King acquittals, the seminal moments would occur in a markedly dierent setting.

“I thought it was important geo-graphically the neighborhood we were meeting up in,” said Celia, a black teaching artist who attended the march. “Because that neighborhood is predominantly white, and it’s important for white Angelenos and huge business-es, successful businesses, in that area to recognize that it’s an Angeleno and American issue.”

Protesters painted a scene of commu-nity, with a largely positive, nonviolent atmosphere.

“I left before things seemed to have gotten really intense, but while I was there it was very emotional and over-

whelming to see thousands of people stand in solidarity,” protester Britnee Sweat told L.A. Weekly. “It was a great feeling to have that reassurance that there are so many people who truly believe that black lives do matter.”

“It was incredible, there were so many people and people with care and love and solidarity in their hearts,” recalled Celia. “People were handing out masks, water, snacks — it was very hot, espe-cially with the masks, and we were walking 12 miles.”

Events, however, would take a turn, just as they did earlier in the week when demonstrations took over freeways, trash cans burned, and there was scat-tered looting of businesses, such as the Target on 7th and Figueroa.

“There were moments of tenseness... The police presence was very powerful and they initiated contact very early on,” said Celia. “We left from Pan Pacific Park and stopped momentarily at 3rd and Fairfax, and they were already shooting rubber bullets at that location.”

Another attendee, Richard, recounted the moment he saw the LAPD advanc-

ing, aggressively yelling, as he watched friends get shot with rubber bullets.

By mid-afternoon, police cars had been torched, businesses were looted and altercations with police broke out. At least five oicers would be injured that day and hundreds of protesters arrested, according to the LAPD.

Multiple marchers told L.A. Week-ly that people unailiated with the nonviolent protest were responsible for the mayhem. Both Mayor Eric Garcetti and Governor Gavin Newsom said they believed out-of-town agitators were sent into the city to disrupt protests, with Garcetti going as far as calling them “organized criminals” and Newsom re-fusing to give any specific group public acknowledgment.

Within hours, Garcetti ordered a curfew of downtown L.A., which by nightfall became citywide. The gover-nor declared a state of emergency as 1,000 National Guard members were deployed to assist law enforcement.

“...At one point, you’ve got to take the temperature of the crowd, and even-tually it starts getting ugly, we’ve got

hundreds in this area ready to go in,” Garcetti said later.

He also declared, “This is no longer a protest, this is destruction. Looting, stealing or vandalizing have nothing to do with the protest.”

The one-night, citywide curfew would be followed, at the time of this writing, by four consecutive nights of countywide curfews, from evening to early morning. In some localities, cur-fews began as early as 1 p.m.

Meanwhile, on Monday President Donald Trump controversially threat-ened to dispatch active-duty military units across the country to “stop the rioting, looting, vandalism, assaults and destruction of property.”

At least 3,000 arrests have been made in L.A. County since protests began — the vast majority for oenses unrelated to looting or rioting.

DeShawn Brown drove from the Val-ley on Sunday to attend his first protest. Marching from Santa Monica to Venice in a demonstration that was “95 percent peaceful,” he, like many residents, received the oicial alert for a 6 p.m.

curfew at 5:18 p.m. He immediately start-ed walking with a group back to his car, only to be delayed by a labyrinth of street closures and police blockades.

Less than half an hour after curfew and still on Olympic, multiple police cars arrived. Oicers leapt out, weapons drawn, yelling “Don’t move!” and “Get on the ground!”

Brown and the group were zip-tied and held on the curb until a bus arrived to transport them to an unhygienic detention center at the Santa Monica Airport. He was finally released with a citation around 2:30 a.m. and returned home at 4:30 a.m.

Brown was one of more than 400 people arrested in Santa Monica on

JACEN CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY TED SOQUI

PHOTO BY TED SOQUI

PHOTO BY ANTHONY CHIRCO

PHOTO BY ANTHONY CHIRCO

JACEN CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY JENNIFER GROSS

PHOTO BY MARGOT GERBER

I I E R E L Y

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YE R IN L IN KENNE R R W KIE WIL N

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N W E ILIE WERE LL

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MELINA ABDULLAH,

A CO-FOUNDER OF BLACK LIVES

MATTER LOS ANGELES

hundreds in this area ready to go in,” Garcetti said later.

He also declared, “This is no longer a protest, this is destruction. Looting, stealing or vandalizing have nothing to do with the protest.”

The one-night, citywide curfew would be followed, at the time of this writing, by four consecutive nights of countywide curfews, from evening to early morning. In some localities, cur-fews began as early as 1 p.m.

Meanwhile, on Monday President Donald Trump controversially threat-ened to dispatch active-duty military units across the country to “stop the rioting, looting, vandalism, assaults and destruction of property.”

At least 3,000 arrests have been made in L.A. County since protests began — the vast majority for oenses unrelated to looting or rioting.

DeShawn Brown drove from the Val-ley on Sunday to attend his first protest. Marching from Santa Monica to Venice in a demonstration that was “95 percent peaceful,” he, like many residents, received the oicial alert for a 6 p.m.

curfew at 5:18 p.m. He immediately start-ed walking with a group back to his car, only to be delayed by a labyrinth of street closures and police blockades.

Less than half an hour after curfew and still on Olympic, multiple police cars arrived. Oicers leapt out, weapons drawn, yelling “Don’t move!” and “Get on the ground!”

Brown and the group were zip-tied and held on the curb until a bus arrived to transport them to an unhygienic detention center at the Santa Monica Airport. He was finally released with a citation around 2:30 a.m. and returned home at 4:30 a.m.

Brown was one of more than 400 people arrested in Santa Monica on

Sunday night. The very next day, LAPD’s Hollywood division reported a daily record — nearly 600 arrests, mostly for curfew violations.

Recalling that night, Brown said he wasn’t scared. “I was doing the right thing for my family members, for my friends, for myself.”

Where Los Angeles goes from this his-toric, at times combative week remains to be seen. Protests across the nation show no sign of abating in the midst of a global pandemic during which people have been advised to wear face coverings and avoid large gatherings for more than two months.

“I could put together a group of advisers. I could put together another task force. I could promise and promote a few pieces of legislation, but program passing is not problem solving,” New-som said Monday. “You got to change hearts, you got to change culture, not just laws.”

A six-plus–hour Zoom meeting for the Los Angeles Board of Police Commis-sioners — its first since the protests began — saw Angeleno after Angeleno call in for two-minute public comment periods while more than 16,000 watched streams online. At times emotional,

comments were overwhelmingly critical, even scathing, of the LAPD and the commission’s oversight of the police force.

Many called for Chief Michel Moore to be fired, particularly in light of his quickly retracted and widely panned statement Monday assigning blame to protesters for the death of George Floyd. Others accused local law enforcement of hypocrisy and paying lip service to Floyd, given past police killings of Angelenos.

“This is about #GeorgeFloyd and about so much more than him...It’s about the thousands of folks who are killed by police every year, including #Kenneth-RossJr, #WakieshaWilson, #Grechari-oMack, #RyanTwyman and #LeeJef-ferson, whose families were all at the protest,” Melina Abdullah, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, wrote in a statement to the Weekly. “This is also about a system of policing that puts targets on the backs of black people and eats up public funds which could be used for resources and services, like permanent housing, healthcare, youth programs, parks and libraries.”

Protests continued Tuesday, as hun-dreds marched the streets of L.A. Coun-ty, from downtown L.A. and Hollywood

to Manhattan Beach, Pasadena and even Windsor Square, where Mayor Garcetti resides.

Some made their way to City Hall, where they met without incident both LAPD and National Guard members. At several points, protesters kneeled for eight-minute tributes. Garcetti at one point joined in.

Hundreds that gathered in front of the mayor’s home stayed past the curfew, continuing to chant, although it did not appear that the mayor was there.

Addressing Angelenos from City Hall, Garcetti said that he did not plan on implementing a weeklong curfew, but would take things day-to-day. Earlier that evening, L.A. County Sheri Alex Villanueva insisted in an interview with KTLA 5 that curfews would continue “until organized protests are gone.” Critics such as the ACLU have labeled the restrictions unconstitutional and counterproductive.

As the 6 p.m. curfew went into eect, handfuls of protesters lingered through-out L.A. Some allowed themselves to be arrested; others scattered to avoid police. On Wednesday, BLM-LA will protest in front of the Hall of Justice at 3 p.m.

JACEN CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY

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concerts before live audiences.“We’ve had multiple festivals and a

10-week European Tour that has been postponed to 2021,” says Robert Jon of Orange County band Robert Jon & The Wreck.

The Wreck, which Jon describes as “a double shot of Southern rock with a blues chaser,” nonetheless released their new album, Last Light on the High-way, on May 8. They’ve been promot-ing the record as best they can through livestreams, social media and email lists.

Concert fees are notoriously low for original semi-pro bands in the over-saturated Southland music scene (“It’s great; we’ve stopped losing money for a couple of months!” quips James O’Brien, guitarist with South O.C. band Stone Hill, about the lockdown). So it’s the lack of opportunities to sell merchandise — T-shirts, CDs, posters etc. — at shows during the pandemic that’s often had the most significant financial impact.

“Not selling records or merchandise at shows means we don’t get the extra income to help pay for the rehearsal studio, or to oset recording costs,” ex-plains Irvine resident Mel Schantz, who fronts O.C.-based socio-political dark punk band Unit F.

For Unit F, their COVID-19 concerns are complicated further by members having parents or significant others who’re considered high-risk for the virus.

“That made rehearsals a no-go for us,” Schantz continues. “[And] prevented us from doing a true live streaming or even any kind of rehearsed collaborations.”

Schantz also stressed the less tangible impact of losing live performance, and even rehearsals, as a cathartic emotion-al outlet.

“Rehearsals are my relief valve … that

two or three times a week I get to let o all the steam that paying attention to things tends to generate,” he says. “In some genres that is not so bad; in punk rock it can take away the visceral aspect of the energy of the music which expresses so much.”

But the coronavirus crisis has also prompted area musicians to respond in myriad positive and imaginative ways in order to keep creating, and to stay connected with their fans. Many bands continue to collaborate on songwriting and recording (both audio and video) remotely, and some have been able to stream live performances, albeit often in stripped-down formats. The latter can even be monetized through the sale of virtual tickets.

“Sure, we had gigs lined up and were gaining momentum, and we miss get-ting together and rehearsing and cre-ating, but there have been more than a few unexpected positives,” says Stone Hill bassist Joe Hickey, who describes his band as “high-energy hard rock with soaring vocals and heavy ’90s grooves.”

“We were able to utilize an empty building for a social distancing-com-pliant rehearsal session, and we have been super busy at [guitarist] James’ home studio. Zoom, Facebook Live, FaceTime band meetings, and digital music file sharing have all been more fun than expected.”

Huntington Beach alternative hard rock band BI·AS, which features founding Korn drummer David Silveria, responded to the “Lockdown Challenge” started by veteran rocker Sammy Hagar. This encourages bands to write and record a song and accompanying music video remotely, without a pro-fessional studio or producer, and then release the results online.

“I thought it would be fun to use this time to build this song and release the demo for fans to hear the song evolve from the demo state to the final ver-sion later on,” oers BI·AS vocalist Rich Nguyen, who mixed their “Lockdown Challenge” song “Unsavory” and edited its video. “It was a ton of work, but in the end it was fun and dierent.”

“Unsavory” was released on YouTube and social media on April 20, and at the time of writing had already enjoyed nearly 5,000 YouTube views.

To augment such remote collabora-tions and livestreams, many bands are also posting or re-posting old content, such as video outtakes and previously unreleased demos. Some have also self-edited music videos from existing concert footage, often augmented with stock images.

Online collaboration has also pro-vided artistic lifelines for solo musicians who are currently deprived of open mic nights and restaurants at which to perform.

“I have responded by reaching out on Craigslist to other musicians who feel like jamming virtually, and I also have attended a couple of open mic nights that are virtual,” says Aaron Wertheimer, a pianist and drummer from Long Beach. “One of them is called ‘Alicted by Youth’ … [it’s] been a saving grace on Saturdays in terms of being able to have friends to play music with.”

Wertheimer has also been collaborat-ing with musicians he’s befriended on Craigslist, working on songs via Google Drive and using Ableton Live audio workstation software.

All the musicians interviewed for this article expressed unequivocal enthu-siasm to return to in-person rehearsals and live performance, but were equally

unanimous in their uncertainties about the post-pandemic music scene in and around Irvine.

“I think some people will be itching to get back to bars and restaurants, and some will be reluctant,” says Jon. “I know some restaurants shut their doors for good already, which is really sad.”

“If [COVID-19] can be contained, prop-erly treated and eventually eradicated in a reasonable amount of time, then I think bands and venues still have a fighting chance,” Nguyen concludes. “Shows most likely won’t be jam packed at first, but they also won’t be empty either.”

Some, like Stone Hill’s O’Brien, foresee the pandemic producing a fresh sense of common cause among venues and performers, which in the long term could prove to be positive for all parties.

“It’s a new start. Smaller venues will need musicians and bands like never before,” he says. “We will need to work together to bring the crowds back and to really push the shows on social media … sharing events with live streaming of all shows. It’s a worldwide audience — the venues should take advantage of this.”

MUSIC

REATING DURING ORONAVIRUSAREA MUSICIANS IND POSI I ES IN A IME O PANDEMIC.

BY: PAUL RO ERS

Last month, we interviewed Irvine-area concert venues about how they’re coping with the ongoing coronavirus lockdown, and their predictions for the future of

the region’s music scene. With no sign of SoCal live music returning anytime soon (concerts are categorized as Stage 4 in Gov. Newsom’s four-phase plan for reopening the California economy), we

contacted local musicians to learn how COVID-19 is impacting their careers and creativity, and what they expect to happen next.

Area bands and musicians at all lev-

els of activity and professionalism have been negatively aected by the current lockdown, most palpably in being un-able to conduct face-to-face rehearsals and recording sessions, or to perform

UNI PHO O BY: RO ER KRU ER AARON WER HEIMER PHO O BY: EMILY IELMA

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| 98concerts before live audiences.

“We’ve had multiple festivals and a 10-week European Tour that has been postponed to 2021,” says Robert Jon of Orange County band Robert Jon & The Wreck.

The Wreck, which Jon describes as “a double shot of Southern rock with a blues chaser,” nonetheless released their new album, Last Light on the High-way, on May 8. They’ve been promot-ing the record as best they can through livestreams, social media and email lists.

Concert fees are notoriously low for original semi-pro bands in the over-saturated Southland music scene (“It’s great; we’ve stopped losing money for a couple of months!” quips James O’Brien, guitarist with South O.C. band Stone Hill, about the lockdown). So it’s the lack of opportunities to sell merchandise — T-shirts, CDs, posters etc. — at shows during the pandemic that’s often had the most significant financial impact.

“Not selling records or merchandise at shows means we don’t get the extra income to help pay for the rehearsal studio, or to oset recording costs,” ex-plains Irvine resident Mel Schantz, who fronts O.C.-based socio-political dark punk band Unit F.

For Unit F, their COVID-19 concerns are complicated further by members having parents or significant others who’re considered high-risk for the virus.

“That made rehearsals a no-go for us,” Schantz continues. “[And] prevented us from doing a true live streaming or even any kind of rehearsed collaborations.”

Schantz also stressed the less tangible impact of losing live performance, and even rehearsals, as a cathartic emotion-al outlet.

“Rehearsals are my relief valve … that

two or three times a week I get to let o all the steam that paying attention to things tends to generate,” he says. “In some genres that is not so bad; in punk rock it can take away the visceral aspect of the energy of the music which expresses so much.”

But the coronavirus crisis has also prompted area musicians to respond in myriad positive and imaginative ways in order to keep creating, and to stay connected with their fans. Many bands continue to collaborate on songwriting and recording (both audio and video) remotely, and some have been able to stream live performances, albeit often in stripped-down formats. The latter can even be monetized through the sale of virtual tickets.

“Sure, we had gigs lined up and were gaining momentum, and we miss get-ting together and rehearsing and cre-ating, but there have been more than a few unexpected positives,” says Stone Hill bassist Joe Hickey, who describes his band as “high-energy hard rock with soaring vocals and heavy ’90s grooves.”

“We were able to utilize an empty building for a social distancing-com-pliant rehearsal session, and we have been super busy at [guitarist] James’ home studio. Zoom, Facebook Live, FaceTime band meetings, and digital music file sharing have all been more fun than expected.”

Huntington Beach alternative hard rock band BI·AS, which features founding Korn drummer David Silveria, responded to the “Lockdown Challenge” started by veteran rocker Sammy Hagar. This encourages bands to write and record a song and accompanying music video remotely, without a pro-fessional studio or producer, and then release the results online.

“I thought it would be fun to use this time to build this song and release the demo for fans to hear the song evolve from the demo state to the final ver-sion later on,” oers BI·AS vocalist Rich Nguyen, who mixed their “Lockdown Challenge” song “Unsavory” and edited its video. “It was a ton of work, but in the end it was fun and dierent.”

“Unsavory” was released on YouTube and social media on April 20, and at the time of writing had already enjoyed nearly 5,000 YouTube views.

To augment such remote collabora-tions and livestreams, many bands are also posting or re-posting old content, such as video outtakes and previously unreleased demos. Some have also self-edited music videos from existing concert footage, often augmented with stock images.

Online collaboration has also pro-vided artistic lifelines for solo musicians who are currently deprived of open mic nights and restaurants at which to perform.

“I have responded by reaching out on Craigslist to other musicians who feel like jamming virtually, and I also have attended a couple of open mic nights that are virtual,” says Aaron Wertheimer, a pianist and drummer from Long Beach. “One of them is called ‘Alicted by Youth’ … [it’s] been a saving grace on Saturdays in terms of being able to have friends to play music with.”

Wertheimer has also been collaborat-ing with musicians he’s befriended on Craigslist, working on songs via Google Drive and using Ableton Live audio workstation software.

All the musicians interviewed for this article expressed unequivocal enthu-siasm to return to in-person rehearsals and live performance, but were equally

unanimous in their uncertainties about the post-pandemic music scene in and around Irvine.

“I think some people will be itching to get back to bars and restaurants, and some will be reluctant,” says Jon. “I know some restaurants shut their doors for good already, which is really sad.”

“If [COVID-19] can be contained, prop-erly treated and eventually eradicated in a reasonable amount of time, then I think bands and venues still have a fighting chance,” Nguyen concludes. “Shows most likely won’t be jam packed at first, but they also won’t be empty either.”

Some, like Stone Hill’s O’Brien, foresee the pandemic producing a fresh sense of common cause among venues and performers, which in the long term could prove to be positive for all parties.

“It’s a new start. Smaller venues will need musicians and bands like never before,” he says. “We will need to work together to bring the crowds back and to really push the shows on social media … sharing events with live streaming of all shows. It’s a worldwide audience — the venues should take advantage of this.”

MUSIC

REATING DURING ORONAVIRUSAREA MUSICIANS IND POSI I ES IN A IME O PANDEMIC.

BY: PAUL RO ERS

Last month, we interviewed Irvine-area concert venues about how they’re coping with the ongoing coronavirus lockdown, and their predictions for the future of

the region’s music scene. With no sign of SoCal live music returning anytime soon (concerts are categorized as Stage 4 in Gov. Newsom’s four-phase plan for reopening the California economy), we

contacted local musicians to learn how COVID-19 is impacting their careers and creativity, and what they expect to happen next.

Area bands and musicians at all lev-

els of activity and professionalism have been negatively aected by the current lockdown, most palpably in being un-able to conduct face-to-face rehearsals and recording sessions, or to perform

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ENTERTAINMENTIRVINE WEEKLY’S (STREAMING) MOVIE GUIDE

KIMMY, MISSY, CAPONE AND MORE.

BY: LINA LECARO AND CHUCK WILSON

I rvine Weekly’s (Streaming) Movie Guide is your look at the hottest films available on your TV sets and electronic devices — from indie art house gems to popcorn-perfect blockbusters to new movies garnering buzz that moved from theaters (still closed in Orange County) to digital Video on Demand (VOD) and stream-ing subscription services. Check this guide regularly as you shelter at home during the pandemic.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kim-my vs. the Reverend | Netflix

Quirky Kimmy is back and in this all new feature-length film, and we get to decide her fate. If you’ve missed the hi-larious cast of Unbreakable, you’re not alone. This novel, choose-as-you-go sto-ry is fun, but it also makes for some pres-sure, especially for hardcore fans who know that Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) doesn’t always make the best choices on her own. Like Netflix’s ground-breaking Black Mirror: Bandersnatch episode, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend is a twisted tale pro-viding multiple outcomes and viewer choices along the way. Most are likely to get everyone to the happy(?) ending eventually, in which our wonderfully wacky Miss Schmidt walks down the aisle with Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radclie, playing an equally naive English prince here. But before that can happen Kimmy must call on her fellow “mole women” (Tip: Avoid “the Taco Snake” phone option at all costs!) to solve a mystery concerning her puppet-like purple backpack and a mysterious book she finds hidden inside of it be-longing to the “reverend,” Jon Hamm’s cult leader/Kimmy’s captor from the last few seasons. It seems the evil Rev might have abducted a new group of gals, so it’s up to Kimmy and her bodacious bestie Titus Andromedon to save the women, trekking by foot and pimped-out bike and hitting up a hicksville bar (Another tip: Choose the option where Titus actually knows the words to

“Freebird” and you won’t be disappoint-ed.). Final tip: Watch this movie more than once for an array of storylines and Easter eggs from the warped minds of producers Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. Unbreakable the series is over, so this movie and its multiple versions are all we got. —Lina Lecaro

The Wrong Missy | NetflixIn the past decade or so, Adam San-

dler movies have been very hit or miss, especially the ones his Happy Madison Production company has made for Netflix. But his latest, The Wrong Missy, starring still-eective straightman David Spade and the spastic Lauren Lapkus, is a laugh-out-loud hit. Sandler’s usual suspects are all here (Rob Schnei-der, Nick Swardson) but he is nowhere in sight and that seems like it was a good choice. Instead, Spade plays the unlikely romantic lead Sandler might have, and the casting really works. Recalling the chemistry the actor had with Chris Farley back in the SNL days, this silly slapstick-driven comedy works its wacky magic from scene one, when the two leads go on a blind date from hell. It’s all pretty predictable about 15 minutes in, but thanks to some gorgeous Hawaiian locales (Sandler loves his vacay/island flicks) this one fits in nicely with alongside classics like Just Go With It and 50 First Dates. But none of it would be such a scream without an utterly electric performance by Lapkus, who steals the show here as a woman whose lack of boundaries, filters and self-restraint make for a full and shock-ingly funny take on life that’s so “wrong,” it’s right. —Lina Lecaro

Capone | VODAl Capone, the 20th century gangster

responsible for dozen of brutal murders, died in 1947 after spending years fading away in his Florida mansion, lost to dementia brought on by syphilis. In his daring new film, writer-director Josh Trank (Chronicle) sends Tom Hardy on a journey into the famed thug’s

fractured mind, as violent memories from his glory days jumble up to create fantasies of what’s happening in the present. To their credit, Hardy and Trank don’t soften Capone’s bullying edges though he’s clearly puzzled by the extremes of what his memory bank has to oer, as when Capone relives the death by torture of an enemy that he himself ordered. All grunts and chomp-ing cigar, Hardy gives a performance that’s all in the eyes — fine work from a fearless actor. The film itself may disap-point those hoping for an action epic on par with The Untouchables. Caponedoesn’t have much plot, despite the awkward inclusion of a long-lost son seeking reconciliation and FBI agents on the trail of missing money. Individual scenes, particularly two music-tinged sequences early on, impress but don’t quite land. Trank is always dashing on to the next fantasia, and after a while, seems to be moving in circles, which may be the point. Inside the horror of dementia, life is on repeat and nothing lands. —Chuck Wilson

Blue Story | VOD“Hey ho, let me introduce you to

Timmy.” In the opening scene of his debut feature as writer-director, the English rapper known as Rapman sits on the kitchen counter of the film’s hero, serving as narrator for all that’s to follow. Breaking the fourth wall is innovative but also necessary since the complex London-specific gang war being de-picted, combined with the characters’ slang-heavy local accents (be sure to activate your screen’s subtitle option) can make this a disorienting film. But the persistent will be rewarded by an involving final third, which finds Timmy (Stephen Odubola) and Marco (Micheal Ward), lifelong friends turned enemies, acting out a tragedy of Shakespearean dimensions. —Chuck Wilson

Driveways | VODIn a role that must have felt to him

like a great gift, actor Brian Dennehy, who died last month at age 81, gives one of his finest performances in the new film from director Andrew Ahn (Spa Night). Dennehy is Del, a widowed vet who reluctantly befriends a little boy (Lucas Jaye) and his mother (Hong Chau) who’ve come to pack up his late neighbor’s house. Ahn has an eye for de-tail — the boy using his sneaker to press out the cigarette his mother drops to the ground — and trusts that the viewer will

build those details into a fuller narrative he need not state explicitly. This movie is only 80-minutes long but inspires a fullness of feeling that makes it seem epic. —Chuck Wilson

Hope Gap | VODOne week from their 29th wedding

anniversary, and Edward (Bill Nighy) leaves his wife, Grace (Annette Bening). He’s in love with someone else. Grace is enraged and sinks into eternal bit-terness, calling the divorce a “murder.” Inspired by his own family’s story, writ-er-director William Nicholson (Shad-owlands) gives his ace cast, including Josh O’Connor as the son, dialogue that’s self-consciously literate and a post-di-vorce arc for Grace that feels underde-veloped, as if he couldn’t imagine the mother breaking free of self-imposed traps. Still, we see these things for the acting, don’t we? This trio — aces all. —Chuck Wilson

Becoming | NetflixLike her memoir of the same name,

Becoming tells the story of Michelle Obama in a personal way that’s fasci-nating because of the subject, not be-cause of any revelatory information or even any particularly new perspectives. Made by Higher Ground Productions — the former first lady and her husband President Barack Obama’s production company — it is a detailed chronicle of an extraordinary life, a powerful love story and a journey filled with challeng-es and disappointments, all of which are meant to show the kind of character and strength we might all achieve by example. And although Mrs. Obama is never really put in the hot seat the way Hillary Clinton is in her Hulu doc series Hillary, she doesn’t hold back either, es-pecially when sharing her experiences as a black woman and her disappoint-ment in her fellow black women for not voting, allowing Donald Trump to snag the presidency. “After all that work, they just couldn’t be bothered to vote at all – that’s my trauma,” she says earnestly yet matter of factly. Though Michelle doesn’t dig too deep into the Trump stu (lord knows there’s a lot of call him out for; the man has proven he is obsessed with her husband, after all) the entire documentary is somewhat of a wistful watch if you miss the class, the humor, the empathy and the lack of pretense of the former first family in the White House. —Lina Lecaro

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ENTERTAINMENTIRVINE WEEKLY’S (STREAMING) MOVIE GUIDE

KIMMY, MISSY, CAPONE AND MORE.

BY: LINA LECARO AND CHUCK WILSON

I rvine Weekly’s (Streaming) Movie Guide is your look at the hottest films available on your TV sets and electronic devices — from indie art house gems to popcorn-perfect blockbusters to new movies garnering buzz that moved from theaters (still closed in Orange County) to digital Video on Demand (VOD) and stream-ing subscription services. Check this guide regularly as you shelter at home during the pandemic.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kim-my vs. the Reverend | Netflix

Quirky Kimmy is back and in this all new feature-length film, and we get to decide her fate. If you’ve missed the hi-larious cast of Unbreakable, you’re not alone. This novel, choose-as-you-go sto-ry is fun, but it also makes for some pres-sure, especially for hardcore fans who know that Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) doesn’t always make the best choices on her own. Like Netflix’s ground-breaking Black Mirror: Bandersnatch episode, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend is a twisted tale pro-viding multiple outcomes and viewer choices along the way. Most are likely to get everyone to the happy(?) ending eventually, in which our wonderfully wacky Miss Schmidt walks down the aisle with Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radclie, playing an equally naive English prince here. But before that can happen Kimmy must call on her fellow “mole women” (Tip: Avoid “the Taco Snake” phone option at all costs!) to solve a mystery concerning her puppet-like purple backpack and a mysterious book she finds hidden inside of it be-longing to the “reverend,” Jon Hamm’s cult leader/Kimmy’s captor from the last few seasons. It seems the evil Rev might have abducted a new group of gals, so it’s up to Kimmy and her bodacious bestie Titus Andromedon to save the women, trekking by foot and pimped-out bike and hitting up a hicksville bar (Another tip: Choose the option where Titus actually knows the words to

“Freebird” and you won’t be disappoint-ed.). Final tip: Watch this movie more than once for an array of storylines and Easter eggs from the warped minds of producers Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. Unbreakable the series is over, so this movie and its multiple versions are all we got. —Lina Lecaro

The Wrong Missy | NetflixIn the past decade or so, Adam San-

dler movies have been very hit or miss, especially the ones his Happy Madison Production company has made for Netflix. But his latest, The Wrong Missy, starring still-eective straightman David Spade and the spastic Lauren Lapkus, is a laugh-out-loud hit. Sandler’s usual suspects are all here (Rob Schnei-der, Nick Swardson) but he is nowhere in sight and that seems like it was a good choice. Instead, Spade plays the unlikely romantic lead Sandler might have, and the casting really works. Recalling the chemistry the actor had with Chris Farley back in the SNL days, this silly slapstick-driven comedy works its wacky magic from scene one, when the two leads go on a blind date from hell. It’s all pretty predictable about 15 minutes in, but thanks to some gorgeous Hawaiian locales (Sandler loves his vacay/island flicks) this one fits in nicely with alongside classics like Just Go With It and 50 First Dates. But none of it would be such a scream without an utterly electric performance by Lapkus, who steals the show here as a woman whose lack of boundaries, filters and self-restraint make for a full and shock-ingly funny take on life that’s so “wrong,” it’s right. —Lina Lecaro

Capone | VODAl Capone, the 20th century gangster

responsible for dozen of brutal murders, died in 1947 after spending years fading away in his Florida mansion, lost to dementia brought on by syphilis. In his daring new film, writer-director Josh Trank (Chronicle) sends Tom Hardy on a journey into the famed thug’s

fractured mind, as violent memories from his glory days jumble up to create fantasies of what’s happening in the present. To their credit, Hardy and Trank don’t soften Capone’s bullying edges though he’s clearly puzzled by the extremes of what his memory bank has to oer, as when Capone relives the death by torture of an enemy that he himself ordered. All grunts and chomp-ing cigar, Hardy gives a performance that’s all in the eyes — fine work from a fearless actor. The film itself may disap-point those hoping for an action epic on par with The Untouchables. Caponedoesn’t have much plot, despite the awkward inclusion of a long-lost son seeking reconciliation and FBI agents on the trail of missing money. Individual scenes, particularly two music-tinged sequences early on, impress but don’t quite land. Trank is always dashing on to the next fantasia, and after a while, seems to be moving in circles, which may be the point. Inside the horror of dementia, life is on repeat and nothing lands. —Chuck Wilson

Blue Story | VOD“Hey ho, let me introduce you to

Timmy.” In the opening scene of his debut feature as writer-director, the English rapper known as Rapman sits on the kitchen counter of the film’s hero, serving as narrator for all that’s to follow. Breaking the fourth wall is innovative but also necessary since the complex London-specific gang war being de-picted, combined with the characters’ slang-heavy local accents (be sure to activate your screen’s subtitle option) can make this a disorienting film. But the persistent will be rewarded by an involving final third, which finds Timmy (Stephen Odubola) and Marco (Micheal Ward), lifelong friends turned enemies, acting out a tragedy of Shakespearean dimensions. —Chuck Wilson

Driveways | VODIn a role that must have felt to him

like a great gift, actor Brian Dennehy, who died last month at age 81, gives one of his finest performances in the new film from director Andrew Ahn (Spa Night). Dennehy is Del, a widowed vet who reluctantly befriends a little boy (Lucas Jaye) and his mother (Hong Chau) who’ve come to pack up his late neighbor’s house. Ahn has an eye for de-tail — the boy using his sneaker to press out the cigarette his mother drops to the ground — and trusts that the viewer will

build those details into a fuller narrative he ne